Karmayoga In Our Seventies Poem by Venkateswaran Krishnan Sreenivasan

Each one of us has a story to share
A fairy tale of joy, dreams and tears
This reunion is the right moment to spare
For this wealth of wisdom learnt through years

The past is our stern light and the lodestar
To sail to the unseen shores afar;
Fear not the future; finish this war
In work and worship with the mind ajar

Let us carry on our mission of care
Unhindered by the ageing scare
Unperturbed by lure, let us dare
To save those suffering from the sickness snare

We are enjoined by Nature to do our job
Into the fruits thereof, we have no right to probe
Do not indulge in acts with an eye on gain
Yet not idle away our inner power in vain.

Gain or loss, success or defeat,
Joy or sorrow, bear as equal treat
Right or wrong, judge by our insight
And unattached do what is right.

We pray for the fruits of every labour
And fast is the harvest of human endeavour
We are bound by Nature to work for ever
And forsake the benefits for ultimate surrender

Our arms and legs disengaged and still
And our thoughts straying into vicious fields at will
Is the most afflicted state of mind
Hard to cope and difficult to unwind

Keep our senses totally reined
And the organs strong and unchained
To act for the sake of humanity
Without attachment or vanity.



Sorrow and joy, like heat and cold
Must in every human life unfold
Be tolerant to this transient torment
That tinkers but for a little moment

Noble or evil, good or bad
Whatever happens in Nature; it is sad
That man proclaims haughtily; it is I
Who is the doer, the tallest lie

The yogi, devoid of any devious role,
Acts with his intellect, body and mind
And his senses too not far behind
Detached, with the intent to cleanse the soul

He who discards the fruits of action at ease
Is sure to attain eternal peace
But he who hankers after them regardless of age
Is sure to land in bondage

Time flies in the twinkling of an eye
The seasons come in turn and bid goodbye
Our life ebbs out to be buried in history
Why our ambitions linger still is a mystery

Senility within and stormy scenes without
Shatter our serenity and sums up the rot
The way to disentangle from the knot
Is to stay balanced and fear not

Towards the good and noble steer our leaning
This will for certain diminish our yearning
For possessions, luxury and earning
To lead to self realization and learning

Keep the company of the virtuous and the good
To engage in acts of virtue and good
To feel other’s joy, misery and pain
And share them always without disdain

Look into the mirror of our own past
And then the poor of our country vast
Offer our humble mite to lift them fast
To bring them the living comforts to last


Be content with whatever by chance we gain
Devoid of struggle, stress and strain
Be equal minded at the same time
To be as active as in our prime

Cleanse our temple by meditation
And consecrate the Lord’s lamp within
Keep it aglow with selfless work and devotion
To shield us to the end from darkness and sin

Be wholly immersed in our duties chosen
With devotion and courage on the path to Heaven
Sublimate all our hopes and fears with dedication
And pray on the altar of salvation